Muck and mayhem dominated the Jefferson County Fairgrounds as the Tonka Toyz 4x4 Club put on their annual Oktoberfest Mud Drags on Saturday, Oct. 15.

What once was an event hosted only during the county fair, is a growing movement amongst local mudders.

“Most of us have been around more than 20 years,” said club president Adam Cole.

A few years before COVID hit, the fair dropped the event only to have Cole and club bring it back.

The siren song of the slop kept them crashing.

As the engines ramped up to a roar, a nearby resident came to complain about all the fun, but couldn’t dampen the spirits of the truck enthusiasts on site.

For Cole, this kind of play is key.

“It’s our ‘Let’s Go Mess Around Day,’” he said.

Later in the afternoon as he trudged knee-deep in the mud, he could be heard calling out, “I love my job!”

On top of the fair drags which they now sponsor, the club added this Oktoberfest event, as well as an expo in the spring.

Cole said he hopes to eventually get a car show and live music added to the events, as well.

While the local kinetic sculpture race uses the same track for their “Dismal Bog,” it is almost a desert in comparison with the oceanic pits dug out for the latest Tonka Toyz event.

The sludge sunk so low at points that behemoth machines, which would tower over a puny Prius on the road, were submerged deeply enough that their tires couldn’t even be seen as they chugged through the mire.

Except for the Mega Truck.

Andrea Sheek and Ms. Fancy, her red Mega Truck raised up on 52-inch tires, were easily the stars of the show.

“We just bought it and brought it back from Michigan. We got home Wednesday morning,” Sheek said of her colossal cab.

When asked what inspired her to make such a big buy, she made clear her need for speed.

“I did mud drags for years when I was in my 20s. I moved away from home, and I got married, and then I had a kid, and now mommy’s bored. So mommy needs some fun and this is my fun,” she said.

Mommy also got to let her son Jace, 6, have a turn at the wheel to compete in the kids class, though Sheek saved the full pedal-to-the-metal antics until after he was safely on solid ground.

All the trucks on the track made a splash that day, but as Ms. Fancy’s treads tore through, mud erupted like the feared Rainier.

There was another vehicle at the event lifted somewhat similarly, a vintage Dodge Dart, but when put side-by-side to drag it out, Ms. Fancy dwarfed the daring Dart.

At the end of the event, Sheek was the clear winner for Fastest Overall and earned the tallest trophy — which matched her truck perfectly.

For those interested in getting down and dirty, follow the club online to find out more at facebook.com/TonkaToyz4x4Club.